Retractable ball point pen



C. K. LOVEJOY INVENTOR. 6724M K3 00 ATTfl/ZNEV 2 m m m 21 3333 a 5m May 1, 1962 RETRACTABLE BALL POINT PEN Filed July 19, 1960 w mi in x T m i I N a a m 3,032,012 Patented May 1, 1962 ice 3,032,012 RETRACTABLE BALL POINT PEN Charles K. Lovejoy, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Scripto, Inc., a corporation of Georgia Filed July 19, 1960, Ser. No. 43,921 2 Claims. (Cl. 120-4203) This invention relates to writing instruments and more particularly to an improved ball point pen having a retractable writing unit wherein the extremity of the writing tip is inclined towards the central longitudinal axis of said pen barrel so as to afford a readily visible writing jected position frontally of said central longitudinal axis of said pen barrel so as to afford a readily visible writing tip and achieve a near vertical writing angle formed between the axis of the inclined extremity of the writing tip and the writing surface when held by the writer in normal writing position.

In the past ball point pens have utilized angled writing tips, however, such angled tips were not frontally disposed of the central longitudinal axis of the pen barrel, frontally disposed being defined as that side of the writing instrument which the writer sees during writing when the pen is held in normal writing position. The advantage that is achieved by the present invention is that a readily Visible writing tip is afforded which provides a near vertical writing angle formed between the axis of the inclined extremity of the writing tip and the writing surface when held by the writer in normal writing position. In addition, the present invention provides a writing instrument that is balanced, the reason for this being that the weight of the writing instrument is stably supported on the writing tip in an underslung fashion when in contact with the writing surface since the writing tip is above or frontally of the central longitudinal axis of the pen barrel which precludes any tendency to rotate in the writers hand.

These and other features of the present invention are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross section of the writing instrument according to the present invention showing the writing unit at projected position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross section of the forward portion of the pen shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross section taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross section of the extremity of the writing tip.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the writing instrument is generally designated by the reference numeral 10, and has a retractable ball point writing unit 12 housed within forward barrel portion 14 and rear barrel portion 16 which are normally held together in releasable threaded engagement. The writing unit 12 is longitudinally slidable in inclined relation within the central bore 18 that is formed within forward barrel portion 14 and rear barrel portion 1-6 and which terminates at its forward end in an aperture 20. The writing unit 12 is selectively projected or retracted by a projection and retraction mechanism 22 which can be of the type disclosed and claimed in US. Patent No. 2,930,354 and which may incorporate the further structural features that are disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 739,545, filed June 3, 1958, now Patent Number 3,007,444. The details of this mechanism are clearly disclosed in the above mentioned issued patent and copendingapplication and hence will not be discussed in detail here, but merely referred to generally by the reference numeral 22 which is recognized to include a latch L and a plunger P. The latch L in response to a depression of plunger P is adapted to engage longitudinally spaced latch shoulders disposed within rear barrel portion 16 for selectively positioning the writing unit at its projected or retracted position. The writing unit is normally urged toward retracted position by spring 24 which is positioned between shoulders 26 and 28 formed in the forward barrel portion 14 and on the writing unit 12, respectively. Writing unit 12 has a forward metallic tube section 30 of reduced diameter which carries at its forward end writing tip 32. The writing tip 32 is of general cylindrical shape having a conical extremity 34 formed about an axis 36 that is inclined to the axis 38 of the cylindrical portion of the Writing tip 32. The conical extremity 34 is also formed within the principal diameter that defines the cylindrical configuration of writing tip 32. A ball 40 is rotatably housed within the angled, conical extremity 34. The writing unit 12 is prevented from rotating Within the central bore 18 by means of key 42, which is attached to the forward metal tube portion 30, being slidably disposed in slot 44 which is formed in forward barrel portion 14. To illustrate the combined advantages of a readily visible writing tip having a near vertical writing angle, it is well to define the axes in question. The longitudinal axis of the writing instrument is shown by reference numeral '46 and it can be readily seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the inclined writing extremity 34 is frontally disposed of the longitudinal axis 46 of the writing instrument. By this arrangement the writing extremity is clearly visible to the writer. The writing angle 0 is shown as the angle formed between the axis 36 of the angled extremity B4 of writing tip 32 and the writing surface 48. By referring to FIG.

2 it is readily seen that this angle approaches degrees when held in normal writing position.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustrating only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a writing instrument having a barrel formed about a central longitudinal axis with a main central bore and an aperture formed in its forward end, a writing unit including a ball point writing tip at its forward end slidably disposed within said central bore for shifting between projected and retracted positions with respect to said forward barrel end, means normally biasing said writing unit toward retracted position and means for selectively positioning said writing unit at projected and retracted positions, the improvement of said ball point writing tip having a conical portion the axis of which is inclined toward the central longitudinal axis of said barrel, said conical portion terminating in a ball retaining lip which lies in a plane facing the longitudinal axis of said barrel and adapted for disposition through said forward barrel aperture so that said conical portion of the writing tip when projected is frontally disposed of and inclined toward said central longitudinal axis of said barrel to afford a visible writing tip having a near vertical Writing angle when brought in contact with a writing surface and to provide a balanced writing instrument that precludes any tendency to rotate about said central longitudinal axis 4' of'saidpen barrel when held by the writer in normal Writ- 2,863,421 Rizzo Dec. 9, 1958 ingposition; $000,352" Grube'etal; Sept: 19; 1961' 2. In a writing instrument the improvement as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said writing FOREIGN PATENTS unit is keyed against rotation within said barrel. 5 423,021 Italy b 12 1947 References Cited in the file of this patent 1 grams July 7, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9 rance M r. 2, 1959 2,449,939 Heyberger Sept. 21, 1948 

